Car-coupling



No. 6I7,|34. Patented lan. 3, |899.

E. c. wlxsnulmr CAB COUPLING.

(Application led Apr. 14, 1898.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

dawg@ w/ wf No. 6|7.|34. Patented Jan. 3, |899. E. c. wAsHBuRN.

GAR COUPLING.

Application filed Apr. 14. 1898:! Nn Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ArnNr Orrick.

EDIVIN O. \VASIIBURN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 617,134, dated January 3, 1899.

Application tiled April 14, 1898.

full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplers, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient device whereby twin-jaw couplers of the so-called Master Oar-Build ers type, or that type which employ pivoted knuckles, may be readily adapted for automatic coupling action with other and very different types of twin-jaw coupler-such, for example, as the so called Miller hook.7 Couplers of this latter type, as is well known to persons familiar with such devices, cannot be coupled to couplers of the former type except by means of the ordinary link and pin,

the chief reason being that the coupling-jaws' of the two types project laterally in the wrong direction for cooperation in the coupling action. The link-and-pin connections are of course not automatic in their action and are objectionable, particularly in passengertrains, for various other reasons. For example, vestibuled platforms cannot be coupled together properly with the link-and-pin connection on laccount of the slack and play permitted thereby.

I n a previous device the use of the linkand-pin connection has been obviat ed by providing couplers of the so-called Master Oar- Builders type with interchangeable and independent pivoted coupling jaws or knuckles, one adapted for use when the coupler is used in connection with couplers of a similar type and the other for use When the coupler is to be coupled to a coupler of a different type. This construction is subject to the serious objection that the coupling jaw or knuckle which is ordinarily used must be removed from the coupler in order to apply the other coupling jaw or knuckle, to accomplish Which result it is necessary to remove the pintle or pivot-pin, as Well as the said jaw or knuckle.

In my invention I adapt the coupler for the different uses above indicated bythe pro- Serial No. 677,551. (No model.)

Miller hook, said supplemental jaw or knuckle attachment is applied to the primary jaw or knuckle; but in no case is it necessary to remove the primary knuckle from its working position.

My invention also consists of other novel features of construction, which, as well as the feature above broadly indicated, Will be hereinafter specifically described.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a view, partly in plan, but with some parts broken away and others removed, showing my improved coupler and improved means for attaching the same to the car. Fig. 2 is a plan view with some parts broken away, the same being supplemental to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Figs. l and 2, principally in side elevation, but with. some parts shown in section. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line x4 004 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a View corresponding to Fig. 4, but with some parts removed and with the spring-box or draft-lug box widened up. Fig. 6 is a face view of one of the followers. Fig. 7 is a face view of another of the followers. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line xs x8 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line m9 x9 of Fig. l. Fig. l0 is a similar view to Fig. 9, but showing a different adjustment of the parts. Fig. ll is a perspective view of the supplemental beak or knuckle attachment, and Fig. l2 is a perspective View of the shipper-bracket.

l indicates the portion of the bottom of the car; 2, the longitudinal bottom timbers; 3, the draft-timbers, and i a short transverse timber secured to the ends of certain ot' the timbers 2.

5 indicates a depending hanger bracket or keeper, which is rigidly secured by means of lag-screws G or otherwise to the bottom of IOO the timber 4, with its body portion extending parallel thereto, so as to form a transversely-extended seat in which the draw-bar portion of the coupler is free to work laterally, as hereinafter described.

7 indicates a transversely-extended guiderod, which, as shown, is positioned just inward of the bracket 5 and is secured at its ends in projections S from said bracket 5. Working on the guide-rod 7 is a shipperbracket 0, which, as shown, is approximately H-shaped, the depending prongs of the same being perforated, as at 10, to pass said rod 7. This shi pper-bracket 9 is adapted to be yieldingly held in either one of two different positions for a purpose which will presently appear by means of a spring ll,which, as shown, is coiled on the rod "7, is secured to said bracket, as at l2, at one end, and is securable at its other end by a pin or other suitable device 13, which latter may be shifted and secured to said rod '7, as shown in Fig. 9 or as shown in Fig. l0.

a indicates the draft-bar, and a' the head portions, of a coupler of the Master Car-Builders type.

a2 indicates the vertically-movable lock pin or dog, and a3 indicates the pivoted jaw or knuckle of said coupler. This knuckle is pivoted to the coupler-head a by the pintle or pin c4 and is provided at its outer end with the ordinary bifurcation and vertical pin-seat a5. The tail of the knuckle 3a is, in accordance with my invention, adapted to be locked in either one of two extreme positions, either open or closed, by means of the lock pin or dog a2. When the knuckle is locked closed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, the

surface 3a on the tail of said knuckle engages the surface 2 of the lock-pin d2; but when said knuckle is locked in its extreme open position, as illustrated by full lines in Fig. l, a surface 3b of the tail portion thereof engages a surface 2b of said pin or dog a2. However, when the coupler is used without the supplemental beak or attachment the knuckle is prevented from reaching this extreme open position, in which it will be locked open, by means of suitable stop devices. For the purposes of illustration this stop device may be assumed to consist of a pin d, projecting from the coupler-head, and another pin, (not shown, but which is insertibleinto a seat a7.) Vhen the supplemental beak or jaw attachment is used, as illustrated in Fig. l, the pin will not be inserted in the seat a7.

The draw-bar portion a of the coupler rests on the transversely-extended body portion of the hanger or keeper bracket 5, and the upwardly-projecting prongs of the bracket 9 embrace the sides of the same. The drawbar a is provided with a rearward extension formed by a pair of heavy metallic straps as, rigidly secured thereto by means of rivets or otherwise. In the particular construction shown a spacing block or bar a9 is placed between the straps a8.

To the draft-timbers 3 a draft-lug box of novel construction is rigidly secured. This draft-lug box specifically described is as follows: b indicates a pair of approximately semicylindrical castings provided with annular end lianges or draft-lugs b/ and with central segmental draft-lugs b2. The lower intermediate portions of these castings b are cut away, as shown at b3, and they are provided with upwardly-projecting flanges b4 and depending flanges b5, through which flanges nutted bolts h6 are passed to rigidly secure the sections b together. Said sections b are also provided with laterally-projected iianges D7, which are rigidly secured to the bottoms of the draft-timbers 3, by means of nutted bolts bs or otherwise. Perforated followers b9 work with play or freedom for axial movements, one in each seat formed between the draft-lugs b' and b2. A draft-bolt c, with enlarged head c and screw-threaded end c2, Works through the perforations of the followers b9. A heavy draft-spring c8 is contained within the draftbox, the same being coiled around the draftrod c and compressed between the followers b9. The forward end or head c' of the draftbolt c is pivotally connected to the rear ends of the draft-bar extensions or straps a8 by means of a short vertically-disposed pivot bolt or pin c4.

f indicates a link like swivel head or bracket, one end of which is screw-threaded onto the screw-threaded end c2 of the draftrod c and bears against the rear or inner end follower b. A wedge-shaped key f', working through a slot cut in the draft-bolt c and itself held in place by a cotter or similar device, holds said swivel-head f from turning.

f2 indicates one end of along draft-rod which works through a perforation in the inner end of said bracket f and is provided with a head f3, working within the recesses of said bracket. With a so-called continuousdraft connection the other end of this draftrod f2 or an extension therefrom would be IOO IIO

connected to a similar bracket f at the other end of the car.

In some cases the draft-timbers may be located too far apart for the proper application of the draft-box constructed as above described. To rneet this contingency, I provide spacing-strips b1, which are adapted to be placed between the coperating flanges b4 b4 and b5 b5 of said draft-box, so as to spread the draft-box laterally. In some cases the draft-box may be spread to such an extent that the disk-like followers b9 will not properly coperate with the draft-lugs thereof, and in this case I employ oval-shaped followers, such as shown at 9b in Fig. 7. The draftlug box above described is very easily applied to the draft-timbers, dirt cannot fall into or be lodged within the same, and the spring and the followers may be removed from or placed within said box while the same isin working position or secured to the draft-timbers.

The preferred form of my improved supplemental beak or knuckle attachment will now be described. This device is shown in operative position in Fig. l and removed from working position in Fig. ll. It consists of a very strong steel or malleable block g, cut away at g' to it the outer or bumping surface of the knuckle a3 and provided with a heavy lug or ear g2, which fits into the crotch or seat formed betweenthe bifurcated ends of said knuckle d3. The lug g2 is provided with a vertical perforation g3, which when the device is placed in working position registers with the pin-seat c5 in the free end of the knuckle d3. By dropping an ordinary coupling-pin through the coincident perforations or seats c5 g3 this supplemental beak or jaw attachment is rigidly secured in working position to the primary knuckle or jaw d3. Asis evident, this is the simplest possible operation and may be accomplished very quickly and with extreme ease. It will be noted that the outer and segmental portion g4 of this supplemental beak will give the camming action when the coupler is bumped against the socalled Miller hook and that the straight shouldered portion g5 coperates with a similar shouldered portion on the said Miller hook to lock the said couplers together. In order to adapt the coupler to be coupled by an ordinary link and pin when the said attachment or supplemental beak is secured to the primary knuckle, the body portion gis cut away, as shown at g, and provided with a pin-seat Q7, passed vertically therethrough.

The action of the various devices above described is now thought to have been clearly indicated; but the following comments may be pertinent: W'hen the attachment is used, the base of resistance of the spring ll is shifted as shown in Figs. l and 10, but when the said attachment is not used the base of resistance of said spring is shifted as shown in Fig. 9. In either case the said spring tends to hold the coupler in its proper operative position, but yields to permit the necessary movements of the same in either direction. When the said attachment is used, the lock-dog a2 locks the tail of the knuckle against inward movement, while when said attachment is not used said dog locks the tail of the knuckle against outward movement.

The round head of the pintle or pivot-bolt a4 is flattened or cut away at one side, as at am, and the coupler-head a' is provided with a small lug a, which engages said flattened portion d10, and thereby prevents said bolt from turning in its seats. This feature of construction is important, as it prevents said bolt or pintle from wearing out its seats in the lugs of the coupler-head.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. The combination with an automatic twinjaw coupler, of a supplemental beak orknuckle attachment, detachably securable to the primary knuckle or jaw thereof, by means independent of the pivot-pin or pintle, whereby said coupleris adapted for automatic coupling actions with twin-jaw couplers of different types, without removal of said pintle or pivot-pin, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with the coupler-head, of a knuckle pivoted thereto, a lock-dog arranged to lock said knuckle in its open position, and a supplemental beak or knuckle attachment, secured to and carried by said knuckle, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivoted thereto, a lock-dog arranged to lock said-knuckle in its open position, and a supplemental beak or knuckle attachment detachably secured to said knuckle, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivoted thereto, a lock dog arranged to lock said knuckle either in its opened or closed positions, and a supplemental beak or knuckle attachment, detachably securable to said knuckle, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic coupler, the combination with the primary knuckle,bifurcated and provided with the pin-seat a5 at its free end, of the supplemental beak or knuckle attachment g, provided with the perforated lug or ear g2 and adapted to be detachably secured to said primary knuckle, by means of a coupling-pin passed through the perforations or seats a5 g3, Vsubstantially as described.

6. The combination with a convertible coupler adapted for coupling actions with couplers of the Master Car-Builders type or of the Miller type, of a spring device acting on said coupler and provided with a shiftable base of reaction for yieldingly holding the same in either of its two different normal positions, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a coupler, mounted for limited lateral movements, of a spring device acting thereon, consisting of a transversely-extended guide, a shipper-bracket movable on said guide and provided with projecting prongs or portions that embrace the draft-bar portion of said coupler, thereby adapting the bracket to be removed laterally from said draw-bar, and a spring applied to said shipper-bracket for yieldingly holding said coupler in an operative position, substantially as described.

S. In a draft-rigging, the combination with the draft connections and followers, of a laterally eXpansible two part draft box and means for expanding said boX, substantially as described.

9. In a draft-rigging, the combination with draft connections and followers, of a two-part draft-box, and spacing-strips for expanding said draft-box, laterally, substantially as described.

10. In a draft-rigging, the combination with the draft connections and followers b', ofthe two-part draft-box consisting of the semicylindrical sections l), with flanges b4 b5, draftlugs b b2 and cut-away portions b3, and means for separably connecting the sections of said boX, substantially as described.

11. The combination With a coupler of the Master Car-Builders type having a supplemental jaw adapting it for coupling action With couplers of the Miller type and mounted for lateral movements into tWo different operative, normal positions, of a spring,` device acting on said coupler and provided with a shiftable base of reaction for yieldin gl y holding the same under approximately the same tension in either of its two different normal positions, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a coupler mount- EDVIN C. WASHBURN.

Witnesses:

HARRY KLGoRE, F. D. MERCHANT. 

